Principal's Message

I am delighted to be the Principal of Los Nietos Middle School STEAM Academy and anticipate an exciting year ahead as the staff and I help your students to discover their pathway towards College and Careers. As Principal, I am energized and deeply committed to making a positive difference in the lives of our students. I can’t wait to meet all of the new 7th grade students and families as the year progresses.

My core beliefs as an educational leader are that I am a role model for my students, staff, and community; I believe in demonstrating a love for learning; I believe in providing a safe and nurturing environment where every student should be treated as an individual who deserves excellence in education. I believe that learning is an intrinsic, dynamic, and creative process. I believe in providing middle school students with opportunities and experiences that can shape them as learners and citizens. As an educational leader I am committed to the core values of education and a strong foundation that all students can succeed.

What is in store for us this year? With the adoption of the California Common Core State Standards, come new possibilities for every student.  It means we will teach our students to be critical thinkers, collaborative team members, communicators and creative innovators. It also means we will prepare our students to enter high school, college and careers with the 21st century technology skills needed to be competitive and ready to take on the challenges of our global economy.  Richard Riley, Secretary of Education under President Clinton summed up the need for innovation to drive our future when he predicted,

“The jobs in the greatest demand in the future don’t yet exist and will require workers to use technologies that have not yet been invented to solve problems that we don’t yet even know are problems.”

I feel honored and privileged to serve the Los Nietos community. I believe teamwork and open communication are very important and know that together we will continue to ensure a positive and productive learning environment for our students. I am excited to help support the students, parents, teachers, and community of Los Nietos Middle School STEAM Academy and I look forward to meeting and working with each of you.

Sincerely,

Shanonn Brann Zelaya, Principal